Bed bugs can happen to anyone of any race, age or socioeconomic background. You are not a dirty person if you have bed bugs. See Bed Bugs - DIY Videos on Prevention and ControlTo view translated copies of the PDF links, see the University of Minnesota’s Let’s Beat the Bug! Legal issues for thrift stores include the safety of the inventory. Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images When preparing to open a thrift store you must first find a location, move in the inventory and announce your opening. As you search for clothing racks and display shelving, the realities of legal issues require your attention. Thrift store owners have to handle the legal concerns and responsibilities all businesses face. Thrift stores also have legal concerns that are common to stores that sell second-hand items. Constructing the legal supports for your thrift store before your opening prepares you to operate a business that meets legal, fiscal and community responsibilities. Business Structure The business structure you choose is the legal structure of your thrift store.
Your legal structure determines the taxes you pay, the extent of your personal liability and the governing arm of the thrift store. As a sole proprietor you own the business and its assets and liabilities. Other options include a partnership, which uses a partnership agreement to define roles, and limited liability corporations, or LLC. The LLC structure is organized under state laws and limits the personal liability of business owners, who are called members, and provides some tax advantages. The IRS requires LLCs to file returns as sole proprietorships, partnerships or corporations. You might choose to incorporate the thrift store as a for-profit or nonprofit organization. Only thrift stores with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status may provide donors of goods with receipts for charitable tax deductions. Register Your Business Once you choose a business structure, your local secretary of state’s office, or the office responsible for business registrations in your state, can help you with the legal creation of your thrift store.
Incorporation usually requires the filing of articles of incorporation with the appropriate state agency. You will need to apply for an employee identification number, or EIN, with the Internal Revenue Service. Your city, county or state will have requirements for business licensing, permits and local taxes. For instance, California’s state laws regulate for-profit and nonprofit thrift stores and require both to file annual reports with the state’s office of the attorney general. Liability Liability insurance protects you and the thrift store if accidents or other causes for litigation occur. Your thrift store will need insurance coverage for the store's location and vehicles. You can limit your liability exposure by ensuring that your physical location is safe and meets all safety codes, performing background checks on employees and volunteers and carefully inspecting all items to be sold. Inventory You will need information about your state’s laws concerning the sale of used items, such as bedding.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission enforces federal laws that prohibit the sale of used items that have been recalled and child items that contain lead. The agency’s thrift store section provides many resources, such as email alerts and a list of state consumer safety contacts, to help you stay abreast of these issues. You will need to decide which items your thrift store will not sell, even if it is legal to sell the items. Some thrift stores will not sell electrical items, health care equipment or used child car seats. References U.S. Small Business Administration: Choose a Business StructureCalifornia Attorney General: Attorney General’s Summary of Charitable Solicitations by Commercial Fundraisers, 2003Federal Trade Commission: More Than Once Upon a Mattress - Used Bedding Labeling RulesU.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Resellers and Resale/Thrift Stores Information CenterThe Salvation Army Northern Division: Thrift StoresIRS.gov: Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) Photo Credits Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images Suggest an Article Correction
Garbage is collected every week on your regular collection day. Find your collection day and set out your garbage by 7 a.m. to ensure collection. Please do not set your cart in the street, alley, or sidewalk. If you believe your garbage was missed, please call Waste Management at 763.783.5423. You have options to increase or decrease the size of your garbage cart. Garbage carts come in 20, 30, 60 and 90-gallon sizes. Residents interested in downsizing their current garbage service level should call Utility Billing at 952.924.2111 or fill out the online cart selection form. The following links provide more information about garbage collection: Municipal Service Center | 7305 Oxford St. | St. Louis Park, MN 55426 There may be times when you have items that cannot be donated, recycled, or do not fit inside your city-provided garbage cart with the lid closed. Waste Management offers easy disposal solutions for many of these difficult to get rid of items such as large broken toys, carpet, mattresses, furniture, general junk and construction / remodeling materials including wood.
Call Waste Management's Customer Service Hotline at 763.783.5423 to schedule a pickup of your bulky items. Residents must pre-pay Waste Management for a bulk item collection. Extra Garbage Fee - Your standard rate does not cover the collection of garbage that does not fit in your cart when the lid is closed. You must purchase a $2 Extra Garbage Sticker for extra bags of household garbage that don't fit in your cart. These stickers are NOT for bulky items (chairs, carpeting, or furniture, etc.), appliances, electronics... The city requires Waste Management to leave educational tags on your garbage cart for improperly prepared garbage. if you receive a tag and have questions. Under the Extended Absence Program, you may be eligible for a reduced garbage rate if you are vacating your property for five or more consecutive weeks. If you're gone for less than five weeks, there is no discount for not setting out garbage. To qualify for the lower rate, you must notify the utility billing office at least two weeks before your home becomes vacant.
For more information, call 952.924.2111 or download the Extended Absence Application. 5005 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, MN 55416 If a holiday falls on the weekend, there will be no delayed collection. If a holiday falls during the week, collection will be delayed by one day all week through Saturday (9 a.m. through 6 p.m.). Collection is only affected by the six holidays listed below. Collection remains the same on all other holidays throughout the year such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents Day and Veterans Day. Monday, May 29, 2017 No collection on Monday. Collection delayed one day all week. Tuesday, July 4, 2017 No collection on Tuesday. Collection delayed one day for the rest of the week. Monday, September 4, 2017 Thursday, November 23, 2017 No collection on Thursday. Thursday and Friday collection will be delayed by one day. Monday, December 25, 2017 Monday, January 1, 2018 Contact Public Works at 952.924.2562 for more information.
Illegal dumping is the disposal of waste at a location other than where it was generated. Illegal dumping can happen on residential, commercial, industrial or public property. Materials that are commonly dumped include electronics, appliances, construction debris, trash, tires, automotive fluids and other waste. Property owners are responsible for cleaning up the waste, regardless of who dumped it. If you see any illegal dumping, anywhere in the city of St. Louis Park, please report it by calling Public Works at 952.924.2562. Thank you for helping to keep St. Louis Park clean and green. You may be responsible for any liability that results from contamination at a facility where your waste has been deposited. Minnesota believes that its waste management system provides substantially more financial and environmental protection than depositing waste in landfills in other states. Managing your waste in Minnesota may minimize your potential... Walk-up service is an optional service where the driver collects your garbage at a location on your property other than at the curb or alley.